The very best of 2018 according to The Wild Detectives’ extended family.

The very best of 2018 according to The Wild Detectives’ extended family.
The very best of 2018 according to The Wild Detectives’ extended family.
There’s something beautiful about the last days of the year. All that looking back, the pondering… Our 2018 long story short: we’re here, we’re growing, we’re proud of our little victories.
Some of those little victories include a new record number of events –more than 200 this year– thanks, in most part, to series like Kids in the Cliff, our kids storytelling time hosted by Lanie DeLay on Sunday mornings, Inner Moonlight, our poetry reading series hosted by Logen Cure every second Wednesday, and our book clubs, the English one hosted by John Bradley, and the Spanish one hosted by Ana Campoy.
Also we continue exploring our topic driven series, such as the controversial Gentrified Dallas in March, curated by Mark Lamster and Lauren Smart, which discussed the challenges that our city is facing due to its fast development, or the 3rd edition of Women Galore last May, programmed and arranged also by Lauren Smart and a team of over 60 women, which brought to Dallas authors such as Leni Zumas or Ijeoma Oluo.
This year we’ve furthered our communication efforts. We want you to know with little effort what we’re doing, what’s happening in the shop, which books we’d like you to read… We’ve recently started Wild Books, a YouTube series in which Kelsey Capps, our reader in residence, we’ll go monthly over our book picks and upcoming events.
Also, our friends at Dieste, haven’t stopped coming up with brilliant and funny ideas to promote our space: check out their hilarious take on our current president’s love for books. Sarcasm intended.
A huge victory this year was hosting the first installment in the US of the renown international festival of ideas, Hay Festival. We were lucky to count with some of the young rising stars in LatAm literature –Juan Cárdenas, Lola Copacabana, Gabriela Jáuregui, Brenda Lozano Emiliano Monge, Eduardo Rabasa and Daniel Saldaña París, besides translator Christina MacSweeney– all included in the recent anthology Bogotá 39. We hope everyone who came had the chance to widen their world a bit and had a great time, we certainly did (proof).
In music news, what we started last year with Damien Jurado has now become a series of intimate shows in our backyard. This year legends such as Lloyd Cole and Bill Callahan have visited us to perform very personal shows. More to come in 2019! For starters, Damien Jurado returns for two consecutive nights in March!
And now that we’re talking about the future, let us tell you that we have a lot of new surprises awaiting up our sleeve for 2019: The Wild Detectives is turning 5 next year and we’re certainly planning to make it special.
Ok, we think we got it all down. Now, let’s move on to another tradition of ours. Our friends and also the people that contributed this year to shape WD, have spoken. Here are The Wild Detectives family highlights of the year.
The winners:
Books:
Beautiful Country Burn Again – Ben Fountain
My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Otessa Moshfegh
Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover
Albums:
God’s Favorite Customer – Father John Misty
Church of Scars – Bishop Briggs
For Ever – Jungle
Superorganism – Superorganism
Movies:
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
A Star is Born – Bradley Cooper
Series:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Amy Sherman-Palladino
Atlanta – Donald Glover
Succession – Jesse Armstrong
At The Wild Detectives:
Jean Paul Caron
Best Book:
My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Otessa Moshfegh
Best Album:
Wrong Creatures – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Best Movie:
Creed 2 – Steven Caple Jr.
Best Series:
Kidding – Dave Holstein, Michel Gondry, Jim Carrey
Andrés de la Casa Huertas
Best Book:
God – Reza Aslan (Non-Fiction)
The Carrying – Ada Limón (Poetry)
Bilbao-New York-Bilbao – Kirmen Uribe (Spanish)
Best Album:
The Horizon Just Laughed – Damien Jurado (Best Album)
Are We Good? – Eleanor Friedberger (Best Song)
Best Movie:
Hostiles – Scott Cooper
Won’t You Be My Neighbor – Morgan Neville (Documentary)
Best Series:
The Kominsky Method – Chuck Lorre
José Garay Boszeta
Best Book:
Red Clocks – Leni Zumas
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – Ben Fountain
Best Album:
Antisocialites – Alvvays
Best Movie:
The Other Side of the Wind – Orson Welles
Best Series:
Maniac – Cary Joji Fukunaga
Javier García del Moral
Best Book:
Öræfi: The Wasteland – Ófeigur Sigurðsson (Fiction)
Beautiful Country Burn Again – Ben Fountain (Non Fiction)
Pajarito – Claudia Ulloa (Spanish)
Best Album:
Foto Aérea – Ibon Errazkin
Best Movie:
First Reformed – Paul Schrader
Best Series:
Forever – Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard
Michal Johnson
Best Book:
The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera
Best Album:
Transience – Shylmagoghnar
Vide Noir – Lord Huron
Loved to Death – Dance with the Dead
Best Movie:
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
Best Series:
A Series of Unfortunate Events – Mark Hudis & Barry Sonnenfeld
Víctor Rimach Jr.
Best Book:
Los Estratos – Juan Cárdenas (Spanish)
Best Album:
La Llorona – Lhasa de Sela
Best Movie:
The Other Side of the Wind – Orson Welles
Best Series:
Babylon Berlin – Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Henk Handloegten
Paco Vique
Best Book:
Conversations with Friends – Sally Rooney (Fiction)
The Line Becomes a River – Francisco Cantú (Non Fiction)
Best Album:
Future Me Hates Me – The Beths
Warm – Jeff Tweedy
Best Movie:
Cold War – Ryan Coogler
Burning – Paweł Pawlikowski
Our collaborators:
Safaa Alaradah
Check Safaa’s article on our website here
Best Book:
Pillow Thoughts II – Courtney Peppernell
Best Album:
Lukas Graham (The Purple Album) – Lukas Graham
Best Movie:
Venom – Ruben Fleischer
Best Series:
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna
Luis Borges
Check Luis’ articles on our website here and here
Best Book:
Volver al oscuro valle – Santiago Gamboa (Spanish)
Best Album:
Encanto Tropical – Monsieur Periné
Best Movie:
Song of the Sea – Tomm Moore
Best Series:
Trollhunters – Guillermo del Toro
John M. Bradley
John is the host of our Wild Detectives’ Book Club
Best Book:
Empty Set – Verónica Gerber Bicecci
Best Album:
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino – The Arctic Monkeys
Best Movie:
Mandy – Panos Cosmatos
Best Series:
The NBA Playoffs
Ana Campoy
Ana is the host of our Book Club in Spanish
Best Book:
Los Estratos – Juan Cárdenas (Spanish)
Best Album:
How I Remember Now I Remember How – Lukas Lauermann
Best Movie:
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Best Series:
Salt Fat Acid Heat – Samin Nosrat
Kelsey Capps
Our Reader in Residence and host of our video series: Wild Books
Best Book:
Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover
Best Album:
Dermot Kennedy
Best Movie:
Disobedience – Sebastián Lelio
Best Series:
I’m Sorry – Andrea Savage
Sara Ellis Cardona
Artist responsible for our Christmas ceiling intervention
Best Book:
The Sympathizer – Viet Thanh Nguyen
The King is Always above the People – Daniel Alarcón
Best Album:
God’s Favorite Customer – Father John Misty
Sepulcros de Miel – Omar Rodríguez López
Best Movie:
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Best Series:
Babylon Berlin – Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries and Henk Handloegten
Marina Cuesta
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
The Adventures of Phoebe Fogg in Around The World in 80 Days – SheQuel
Best Album:
Musas, Vol. 2 – Natalia Lafourcade
Best Movie:
First Man – Damien Chazelle
Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson
Best Series:
Mindhunter – Joe Penhall
Disenchantment – Matt Groening
Logen Cure
Curator and host of our monthly poetry series: Inner Moonlight
Best Book:
Gutter – Lauren Brazeal
Best Album:
Church of Scars – Bishop Briggs
Best Movie:
Dumplin’ – Anne Fletcher (based on the young adult novel by North Texas author Julie Murphy)
Best Series:
Homecoming – Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg
Austin Dupree
Austin was part of the Women Galore team
Best Book:
No One Tells You This – Glynnis MacNicol
Best Album:
Argonauta – Aisha Burns
Best Series:
The Deuce – David Simon and George Pelecanos
Katy Dycus
Katy is a prolific writer, check her articles on our website here, here, here, here, here and here
Best Book:
The Ensemble – Aja Gabel
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World – Steve Brusatte
Best Album:
Hollywood Africans – Jon Batiste
Best Movie:
First Man – Damien Chazelle
Frank Garrett
Check Luis’ articles on our website here
Best Book:
The Magician of Vienna – Sergio Pitol
Best Album:
Fool’s Paradise – Cold Specks
Best Movie:
A Fantastic Woman – Sebastián Lelio
Best Series:
EastSiders – Kit Williamson
Melanie Gibson
Melanie very gracefully volunteered at our ESL reading comprehension workshops we had this summer
Best Book:
Circe – Madeline Miller
Speak – Louisa Hall
Best Movie:
First Reformed – Paul Schrader
Won’t You Be My Neighbor – Morgan Neville
Best Series:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Amy Sherman-Palladino
Matías Jaramillo
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
New Power – Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms
Best Album:
Against All Logic – 2012 – 2017
Best Movie:
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
Best Series:
Mindhunter – Joe Penhall
Janielle Kastner
Co-creator of Movies that Should Be Musicals, a cabaret like reinterpretation of pop-culture gems
Best Book:
Your Art Will Save Your Life – Beth Pickens
Best Album:
You Don’t Own Me Anymore – Secret Sisters
Best Movie:
Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham
Best Series:
Schitt’s Creek– Eugene and Daniel Levy
Ernesto Martínez
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
I Hope You Find Me: The Love Poems of Craigslist’s Missed Connections – Alan Feuer
Best Album:
For Ever – Jungle
Best Movie:
Won’t You Be my Neighbor – Morgan Neville
BlacKKKlansman – Spike Lee
Best Series:
Better Call Saul –Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould
Ernesto Montiel
Ernesto is the master mind behind the curation of our record crates, and also the usual Dj at our Boosktore Disco sessions
Best Book:
Vertical Motion – Can Xue
Henning Christiansen: Freedom Is Around the Corner – Lawrence Kumpf, Joe Buccero and Mark Harwood (Editors)
Best Album:
Green Ways – Áine O’Dwyer and Graham Lambkin
Simple Affections – Simple Affections
L’inertie – Clara de Asís and Bruno Duplant
Al Di Lá – Simone Fort
Best Movie:
La Soledad – Jorge Thielen Armand
Milford Graves Full Mantis – Jake Meginsky and Neil Young
Brigham Mosley
Co-creator of Movies that Should Be Musicals, a cabaret like reinterpretation of pop-culture gems
Best Book:
The Argonauts – Maggie Nelson
Best Album:
By the Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile
Best Movie:
A Star is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best Series:
Ru Paul’s Drag Race – Nick Murray
Domingo Palma
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover
Best Album:
Superorganism – Superorganism
Best Movie:
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – The Cohen Brothers
Best Series:
Get Shorty – Davey Holmes
David Piorno
David curates the playlist we shared most Mondays (on Fridays, later on) on Facebook, and he was our anniversary party guest Dj last April.
Best Book:
My Dark Places – James Ellroy
Best Album:
Knock Knock – Dj Koze
Best Movie:
Cold War – Pawel Pawlikowski
Best Series:
Vergüenza – Cavestany y Fernández Armero
Anthony Robinson
Check Anthony’s poem on our website here
Best Book:
A Time of Gifts – Patrick Leigh Fermor
Best Album:
Both Directions at Once – John Coltrane
Best Movie:
First Reformed – Paul Schrader
Best Series:
Ray Donovan – Ann Biderman
Vicky Sanz
Moderator in most of our Spanish events. Also part of the Women Galore team.
Best Book:
El complot de los románticos – Carmen Boullosa (Spanish)
Best Album:
For Ever – Jungle
Best Movie:
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Best Series:
Man in the High Castle – Frank Spotnitz
Lauren Smart
Lauren is responsible for the Women Galore and Gentrified Dallas events programmed in our store this year
Best Book:
Motherhood – Sheila Heti
Best Album:
Blood – Rhyne
Best Movie:
A Star Is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best Series:
Succession – Jesse Armstrong
Patty Sisco
Check Patty’s piece on our website here
Best Book:
Educated: A Memoir – Tara Westover
Best Movie:
A Star is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best Series:
A Handmaid’s Tale – Bruce Miller
Daniel Vicente
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
Creative Quest – Quest Love
Damned – Chuck Palaniuk
Creativity Inc – Ed Catmull
Best Album:
God’s Favorite Customer – Father John Misty
Best Movie:
Sorry to Bother You – Boots Riley
Best Series:
Atlanta – Donald Glover
Amy Walton
Host of Address Me, the annual letters writing workshop happening in our backyard
Best Book:
God Save Texas – Lawrence Wright
Neon Palm of Madame Melançon – Will Clark
Mudbound – Hillary Jordan
Best Movie:
Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham
BlacKKKlansman – Spike Lee
Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson
Best Series:
The Assesination of Gianni Versace – Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Trust – Simon Beaufoy
Barry – Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Gustavo Zapata
Part of the creative team at Dieste, producing our funniest campaign so far
Best Book:
Nueva Ilustración Radical – Marina Gracés
Best Album:
You Were Never Really Here (O.S.) – Johnny Greenwood
Best Movie:
Hereditary – Ari Aster
Best Series:
Money Heist – Álex Pina
Our friends:
Anna Badkhen
Author
Best Book:
Beautiful Country Burn Again – Ben Fountain (Non Fiction)
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin – Terrance Hayes (Poetry)
Mourning – Eduardo Halfón (Fiction)
Best Album:
The Optimist – Ryan Porter
Best Movie:
Skate Kitchen – Crystal Moselle
Will Clarke
Author
Best Book:
Cherry – Nico Walker
Best Album:
Dirty Computer – Janielle Monae
Best Movie:
Private Life – Tamara Jenkins
Best Series:
The Good Place – Michael Schur
Lola Copacabana
Author, part of Hay Festival, the literary festival we hosted last September
Best Book:
Motherhood – Sheila Heti
Trip – Tao Lin
Best Album:
El mal querer – Rosalía
Best Movie:
RBG – Betsy West and Julie Cohen
Best Series:
Bojack Horseman – Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Jeremy Ellis
Marketing and Communications Manager at MPIBA
Best Book:
My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Otessa Moshfegh
Best Movie:
Game Night – John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
Best Series:
Maniac – Cary Joji Fukunaga
Barak Epstein
Director at Texas Theater, Top Ten Records and co-founder of the Oak Cliff Film Festival
Best Book Magazine:
Fangoria Vol.2 Issue 1
Best Album:
Mandy (O.S.) – Johan Johansson
Best Movie:
Mandy – Panos Cosmatos
Best Series:
Succession – Jesse Armstrong
Will Evans
Director at Deep Vellum Publishing
Best Book:
Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas – Fernando Flores
Night Moves – Jessica Hopper
Best Album:
Yob – Our Raw Heart
Best Movie:
Never Goin’ Back – Augustine Frizzell
Best Series:
Atlanta – Donald Glover
Mozart in the Jungle – Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz
Sanderia Faye
Author
Best Book:
Meet behind Mars – Renee Simms
An American Marriage – Tayari Jones
Best Album:
Championships – Meek Mill
Best Movie:
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
Best Series:
Queen Sugar – Ava DuVernay
Ben Fountain
Author
Best Book:
Waiting for Eden – Elliot Ackerman (Fiction)
Fisherman’s Blues – Anna Badkhen (Non Fiction)
Best Movie:
American Made – Doug Liman
Best Series:
The Deuce – David Simon and George Pelecanos
Suzanne Frank
Author
Best Book:
Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri
Best Album:
Simulation Theory – Muse
Best Movie:
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
Best Series:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Amy Sherman-Palladino
Verónica Gerber Bicecci
Author
Best Book:
Mano de obra – Diamela Eltit (Spanish, Ficiton)
Cajas – Mario Montalbetti (Spanish, Non-Fiction)
Comunidad terapéutica – Iveth Luna Flores (Spanish, Poetry)
Best Movie:
The Quiet Earth – Geoff Murphy
A Ghost Story – David Lowery
Best Series Podcast:
Radio Ambulante
Las Raras
Kendra Greene
Author
Best Book:
Fear Icons – Kisha Llewelyn Schlegel
Mine: Essays – Sarah Viren
Best Movie:
Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson
Best Series:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Amy Sherman-Palladino
Louisa Hall
Author
Best Book:
Census – Jesse Ball
Flights – Olga Tocarczuk
Best Album:
Wanderer – Cat Power
Best Series:
The Crown – Peter Morgan
Bill Holston
Executive Director at Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Best Book:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain
Best Album:
You Want it Darker – Leonard Cohen
Best Movie:
Won’t You Be my Neighbor – Morgan Neville
Best Series:
A Handmaid’s Tale – Bruce Miller
Jill Holston
FMJH Dyslexia Teacher
Best Book:
The List – Patricia Forde
Best Movie:
BlacKKKlansman – Spike Lee
Best Series:
The Romanoffs – Matthew Weiner
Harry Hunsicker
Author
Best Book:
She Rides Shotgun – Jordan Harper
Best Movie:
A Star is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best Series:
Succession – Jesse Armstrong
Kathleen Kent
Author
Best Book:
Circe – Madeline Miller
Best Album:
Church of Scars – Bishop Briggs
Best Movie:
The Guilty – Gustav Möller
Best Series:
Narcos: Mexico – Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro
Michelle Newby Lancaster
Editor at Lone Star Literary Life
Best Book:
Beautiful Country Burn Again – Ben Fountain (Non Fiction)
Oliver Loving – Stephan Merrill Block (Fiction
Christina MacSweeney
Translator, part of Hay Festival, the literary festival we hosted last September
Best Book:
Los Caídos – Carlos Manuel Álvarez (Spanish, Ficiton)
Blue – Maggie Nelson
Bogotá 39 – Anthology of the best LatAm writers below 39
Best Album Musical:
Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda
Best Movie:
Kill Bill – Quentin Tarantino
Joe Milazzo
Author
Best Book:
Transparent City – Ondjaki (translated by Stephen Henighan, fiction)
City of the Future – Sesshu Foster (poetry)
Counter-Desecration: A Glossary for Writing Within the Anthropocene – Linda Russo and Marthe Reed (Non Fiction)
Best Album:
Pillars – Tyshawn Sorey
Ignite the Seven Cannons – Felt (reissue)
Best Movie:
Filmworker – Tony Zierrra
Best Series:
Atlanta – Donald Glover
Sebastian H. Paramo
Poet
Best Book:
Ghost – Diana Khoi Nguyen
Best Album:
Superclean Vol. II – The Marias
Best Series:
The Good Place – Michael Schur
Beth Rankin
Food Editor at the Dallas Observer
Best Book:
My Year of Rest and Relaxation – Otessa Moshfegh
Best Album:
The Pool – Jazzanova
Best Movie:
Sorry to Bother You – Boots Riley
Best Series:
High Maintenance – Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair
Insecure – Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore
Jason Reimer
Creative Director at Texas Theater
Best Book:
Beastie Boys Book – Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond
Best Album:
A Laughing Death in Meatspace – Tropical Fuck Storm
Best Movie:
The Favourite – Yorgos Lanthimos
Best Series:
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Cristina Rodríguez
Book Operations at Deep Vellum Books
Best Book:
Immortal Soft Spoken – Robert Vivian (Fiction)
Vanishing Twins – Leah Dieterich (Non-Fiction)
Best Album:
Ex:Re – Ex:Re
Parlour Arcana – Black Taffy
Best Movie:
Never Goin’ Back – Augustine Frizzell
Best Series:
Slutever – Karley Sciortino
Tim Rogers
Editor at D Magazine
Best Book:
The Man Who Caught the Storm – Brantley Hargrove
Best Album:
Superorganism – Superorganism
Best Movie:
Solo: A Star Wars Story – Ron Howard
Víctor Saenz Diez
Operations at Pepitas de Calabaza
Best Book:
Ghosts of my Life – Mark Fisher
Best Album:
Desorden – La Plata
Best Movie:
Entre dos aguas – Isaki Lacuesta
Best Series:
Wild Wild Country – Chapan Way, Maclain Way and Mark Duplass
Racheal Small
Director of Publicity at Europa Editions
Best Book:
Disoriental – Négar Djavadi
Best Album:
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monaé
Best Movie:
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Best Series:
Schitt’s Creek– Eugene and Daniel Levy
Eric Steele
Partner at Texas Theatre and co-founder of the Oak Cliff Film Festival
Best Book:
Marketing to the Entitled Consumer – Dave Frankland and Nick Worth
Best Album:
So you Wanna be an Outlaw – Steve Earle and the Dukes
Best Movie:
The Death of Stalin – Armando Iannucci
Best Series:
Frontline – David Fanning
Carlos Velázquez
Author
Best Book:
Paul McCartney: The Life – Philip Norman
Best Album:
All Nerve – The Breeders
Best Movie:
Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson
Best Series:
The Deuce – David Simon and George Pelecanos
Tanya Wardell
Operations at Deep Vellum Publishing
Best Book:
Belly Up – Rita Bullwinkel
Beyoncé in Formation – Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley
Best Album:
They Might’ve Even Loved Me – NoMBe
Bienaventuranza – Chancha Vía Circuíto
Best Movie:
Private Life – Tamara Jenkins
Best Series:
The Haunting of Hill House – Mike Flanagan
Shay Youngblood
Author
Best Book:
American Marriage – Tayari Jones
Best Album:
Black Panther (O.S.) – Ludwig Göransson (Film Score) + Kendrick Lamar
A Star is Born (O.S.) – Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
A Wrinkle in Time (O.S.) – Ramin Djawadi (Film Score) + Various Artists
Best Movie:
BlacKKKlansman – Spike Lee
Black Panther – Ryan Coogler
A Star is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best Series:
Children of Blood & Bone – Tomi Adeyemi
Leni Zumas
Author
Best Book:
Strawberry Fields – Hilary Plum
Best Album:
Vitrioli – Selofan
Best Movie:
Suspiria – Luca Guadagnino
Best Series:
The Terror – David Kajganich
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The Wild Detectives is your local independent bookstore bar and venue in Oak Cliff. Serious Pleasures.
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